


An Easy Start

by writerdot



Series: 14 Day McDanno Challenge [7]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: 5x17, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, post episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-29
Updated: 2015-03-29
Packaged: 2018-03-20 06:13:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3639813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writerdot/pseuds/writerdot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Usually when someone mistakes them for being a couple, or married, for that matter, Steve just rolls with it. This time, he didn’t and that’s thrown Danny off a little. </p><p>A Post Ep for 5x17.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Easy Start

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, this one ran away from me. It's probably a pretty loose interpretation of the prompt (which is under cover) but I figured that they were under cover for the episode, so I went with this. Anyway, it's more fluffity fluff. Hope you guys like it!

**Day 7: Under Cover**

It always feels good when a case gets wrapped up, but now that everything is said and done, there is one thing Danny can’t get out of his head.

_“I, personally, would have gone with the gay thing to keep our cover.”_

Would he have, really? It was easy enough to say it at the time, mostly to needle Steve. Truth be told, he was kind of…well, not really hurt, but he did wonder why Steve was so quick to deny they were a couple. It really would have made a good cover, but usually when someone mistakes them for being a couple, or married, for that matter, Steve just rolls with it. This time, he didn’t and that’s thrown Danny off a little.

It’s not as though he hasn’t wondered how different their relationship would be if they did start dating. The more he’s thought on it, the more he thinks (hopes?) that there wouldn’t be that much of a difference at all. He’s never actually had the courage to do anything about it, considering how his past relationships have gone, the latest example his relationship with Melissa. Not because of what happened, but because Danny finally figured out that his heart just wasn’t in it; She deserved someone who was devoted to her and treated her right.

So, he supposes, that he could, you know, maybe try and broach the subject with Steve, but God, Steve is the best friend he’s ever had, and does he really want to risk that?

“Earth to Danny.”

“Huh,” Danny’s focus is abruptly switched to Steve, before remembering that he’s the one driving and it would probably be best to watch the road. “What, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Steve says slowly. “I was just asking if you wanted Chinese or pizza for dinner tonight?”

“We can have the Chinese I wanted the other night.”

“Okay," Steve agrees readily. "I think there’s a place near your house that doesn’t have MSG.”

Danny doesn’t say anything, because that’s another thing. He’s starting to think they really did get married and they just don’t remember the ceremony or something. They’ve always hung out with each other often, but it’s evolved to the point where it’s just assumed that they will be spending all of their evenings together.

And that’s fine with Danny, it really is. He’s always been drawn to Steve in one way or another and if they can’t have the relationship that he's been thinking about, then he will take what he can get.

He’s brought out of thoughts again when Steve pokes him in the forehead.

“Um, excuse you!” he chastises, batting Steve’s hand away with the one not on the wheel.

“I think I saw smoke,” Steve teases. “No but really, though, are you all right? You seem a little…thoughtful.”

“What? Are you saying I can’t think?” Danny banters, taking comfort in a familiar argument.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Steve bring his hands up in surrender. “I wouldn’t dare say a thing like that.”

“Yeah you would. Driving gives me a good chance to think about things that are on my mind, Steven.”

“You can’t do that when _I’m_ driving?”

“Of course not, I’m usually rewriting my living will in my head when you’re behind the wheel.”

“Oh right. Do I get the Camaro?” Steve inquires playfully.

Danny snorts out a laugh before he can help it. “Nice, Steve, that’s very nice.”

“I’m always nice,” Steve fires back.

Danny rolls his eyes and doesn't answer. After a few moments, Danny realizes can practically feel Steve boring holes into the side of this head, as though if he stares hard enough, he’ll be able to watch Danny’s thoughts without even having to ask.

Danny sighs. In that split second, he decides that he can’t actually _know_ if Steve wants a romantic relationship from him unless he puts himself out there and takes the risk. He sees a gas station up ahead and, without giving himself time to back out of doing what he’s about to do, he pulls into it.

“Uh, Danny, didn’t we fill up this morning?”

Danny doesn’t answer, just finds a spot as far back as possible, throws the car into park, and turns off the ignition.

He turns to Steve. “I have to ask you something.”

Steve frowns. “It can’t wait until after our appointment?”

“No,” Danny answers emphatically. “I may not get the courage to do this again.”

Steve looks worried now. Danny holds up a hand. “I just have to ask you this, okay, then we can get on with our regularly scheduled programming.”

Steve bites his lip and nods.

Danny takes a deep breath. “Why didn’t you want to say we were together as part of our cover?”

Steve blinks as though that was not what he was expecting. “What?”

Danny is starting to think this was a bad idea after all, but it’s out there, he might as well follow through. “You heard me.”

“I did but…”

“But…” Danny prompts.

Here’s the thing. Danny’s a cop, yes, but he’s also a dad. He has double the experience in being able to detect when someone is stalling to think up the right lie.

He can also read Steve and he doesn’t think that’s what’s happening here. Steve, if he’s reading him right, actually looks nervous.

So Danny sits patiently, like he does when he’s trying to help Grace figure out a difficult math problem on her own.

Steve looks at Danny, then looks away again. “The thing is…”

“Yes?” 

Then he watches as Steve sits up straight and seems to gather courage. “Okay, here’s the deal,” Steve proclaims. “If I’m going to tell someone we’re together, I want to do it because we _are_. Not because it’s for a case.”

Danny swears everything around them completely disappears and it's just him and Steve, because that was certainly not the answer he'd expected. He’d hoped, yes, but could it really be this easy? “Are you saying…?”

“…that I want to date you?” Steve finishes, and now that Danny’s gotten him started, Steve seems unable to stop. “Yeah. And that’s the least of it. But I also know that you’ve just gotten out of a tricky relationship. Once everything cooled down, I wanted to say something. I just…didn’t want us to rush into anything. We’ve both gone through a lot. I guess I didn’t want us to get together out of, I don’t know, a need for comfort, or something.”

Danny considers this, shell-shocked. When he doesn't say anything right away, Steve clears his throat to get his attention, eyeing him carefully. “Does that answer your question?”

Danny fiddles with the keychain hanging from the ignition as he thinks about the best way to proceed. “Yeah, more than,” he answers, slanting a glance at Steve.

“Okay.” Steve’s facial expression is both hopeful and apprehensive. “What, uh, what do you think?

“I think…" he recalls his earlier musings on his past relationships, how he'd hate it if they ruined one of the best friendships he's ever had. And there's his answer. Now that he knows how Steve feels, he can't _not_ risk it, but caution sounds like the best thing right now, too.

He looks Steve straight in the eye and grins. "I think that not hurrying through this sounds like exactly the right thing,” Danny confirms, watches as Steve relaxes minutely, as though, like Danny, he didn’t think it was going to be this easy. “How about dinner?”

“We do that all the time,” Steve points out.

“We do. But this time…this time we’ll know it’s a date.”

Steve’s face brightens in a way he’s never seen before. He'd seen a glimpse of it when Danny had given him the guitar, and this is like an extension of that. This is even better.

“Yeah?” Steve asks delightedly as he takes Danny’s hand, squeezes his fingers.

“Yeah.” He squeezes back, happiness welling inside him, already picturing the date in his head. “We dress up, have dinner at a nice place, a little conversation, and, you know, take it from there.”

“Take it slow.”

Danny smiles. “Exactly.”

“That sounds great,” Steve answers brightly. “Tonight?”

“That’s not taking it slow, Steven,” Danny responds, amused, though glad Steve suggested it first; he’d been tempted.

“Maybe we can make up our own definition as we go?” Steve implores all puppy dog eyes and wow, he and Grace really do spend a lot of time together.

 Danny chuckles fondly. “Like we do everything else?”

“Yep.”

Danny laughs, tightens his fingers around Steve’s once more, before letting go and starting the car. “Tonight it is, then.”

“Perfect,” Steve answers happily.

Danny winks at him, but before he can put the car into reverse, Steve’s voice stops him. “Hey, Danny?”

“Yeah, babe?”

Steve doesn’t answer in words, instead he’s leaning toward him, hand on his cheek, guiding Danny’s mouth to his.

The kiss is chaste, soft. The times Danny has thought about it, he didn’t think it would be anything less than fast and furious, but this…this is good. Great, fantastic, even. It’s just a simple opening and closing of their lips, no tongue and it’s a perfect start.

Steve leans back, keeps his hand on Danny’s cheek, resting his forehead against Danny’s.

“Sorry,” Steve whispers. “I just…”

He trails off, but Danny understands anyway. He runs his fingers along Steve’s neck, likes the feeling of his pulse fluttering fast under the tips. “Don’t apologize. I get it, trust me, do I get it.”

Steve beams at him, gorgeous and happy. Danny can’t help another light kiss.

“Come on. We are really, really late.”

“Right."

“Hey, I just have one request about tonight,” Danny says, pulling out of the gas station.

“Oh yeah?” Steve raises an inquisitive eyebrow. “What’s that?”

“You have to promise to play me something at some point on that shiny new guitar.”

They’re at a red light, so Danny risks a look, loves that the bright smile hasn’t left Steve’s face. “I promise.”

Danny smiles back without thought. Hell, he’s not sure he’ll be able to stop grinning, and now they’re on the road.

In more ways than one.


End file.
